Events during King Rama IV's Reign

Sir John Bowring, The British Envoy who concluded a free trade treaty with Thailand in 1855.

Bangkok during King Rame IV's Reign

The Suppression of Taiping rebels in Nanking

The British and French armies captured Beijing in 1860.

The Reign of King Rama V (1868 - 1910)

Situation in Thailand It was during this reign that the spreading influence of the western superpower was felt globally. Under King Chulalongkorn's leadership, however, the country was able to survive the crises and uphold its sovereignty, while undergoing a development scheme that aimed to modernize it in the western style. As part of government reform, the tax collection system operated by authorized Chinese was almost totally abandoned. Still, Chinese businessmen in Thailand managed to adjust well and became properous from new areas of trade, particularly rice trade. Meanwhile, Chinese residents in Thailand began to group together in a new pattern, e.g. as dialect groups and public charity groups to benefit society as a whole, just as the secret societies were effectively suppressed. Toward the end of the reign, taxation of the Chinese known as phuk pi was replaced by a kind of 'financial contribution' to state welfare at the rate of six baht a year, the same as that imposed on Thai citizens. The Chinese community of Sampheng had in the meantime enjoyed manifold benefits from the state development scheme, as evidenced the emergence of new roads including Yaowarat: the first Chinese temple: Chinese-owned hospitals as well as Chinese banks, schools and newspapers. History shows that King Chulalongkorn regularly performed the ceremony to present the royal kathin robe at various temples in Sampheng, thus granting the community an opportunity to greet him at a close distance. Situation in China Weakness on the part of the Qing Dynasty caused China's repeated defeat in its wars against foreign countries. A group of revolutionaries was formed to overthrow the Qing rule and establish the country as a republic Dr. Sun Yat-sen, revolution leader, traveled to visit overseas Chinese communities in various countries to promote his ideology as well as seek their support. In the process, he visited Thailand four times and stirred up a strong patriotic sentiment among the Chinese living here. As it happened, the ruling Qing Dynasty also vied for overseas Chinese support by abolishing the law prohibiting citizens from migrating to other countries and re-entering while granting titles to those loyal to it. Furthermore, the first ever Chinese Citizenship Act was passed in 1909 to the effect that a child born of an overseas Chinese father would be granted citizenship by birth right, regardless of the child's birthplace or non-Chinese citizenship, if any.

Empress Dowager Cixi, the de facto ruler of China toward the end of the Qing Dynasty

The financial bonds marketed by the revolutionary party as a means to raise funds for its activities

Hua Eia School, Thailand's first Chinese School. The picture was taken soon after its establishment in 1908.

Saphan Han in Sampheng area, with a row of shops on the bridge.

Yaowarat Road

Yi Go Hong, a leading figure among the Chinese in Thailand, was bestowed a Chinese noble title

Circumstances Facing

Circumstances facing the Chinese immigrants in Thailand had a close connection with the political scene in China which had been experiencing a series of turmoil ever since the fighting to overthrow the Qing Dynasty, the subsequent emergence of China as rebublic, followed by the Japanese invasion and the civil was between Kuomintang and the Communist Parties. The Protracted troubled times compelled large numbers of the people to flee and emigrate from their homeland to Thailand. At the same time, the Chinese in Thailand were divided to reflect the political rivalries in China, while being engaged in a vigorous fund raising campaign to send money home to help out the party of their support. The action also widely ignited patriotism among them.The constant influx of Chinese immigrants coupled with the disturbances stemming from patriotic elements in the Chinese community resulted in the Thai government's policy to restrict the number of potential Chinese immigrants as well as enforce the naturalization process to allow people of Chinese descent who had long resided in the country of qualified due to a number of meritorious deeds to legally become citizens of Thailand. Besides, Chinese born in Thailand would also be granted Thai citizenship. Those who remained aliens would be deprived of certain rights and have to face an alien's fee increase. They were the measures to encourage the Chinese to become naturalized Thai and completely enjoy the rights they would be entitled to as Thai citizens.

Name of Yaowarat

HM King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, bestowed upon the road the name "Yaowarat" which means "Junior King", was to honor HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajirunhis, Thailand's first crown prince.

HRH Prince Narisara Nuwattiwongse, Minister of Public Works in the reign of King Rama V, initiated the project to build 18 roads in Sampheng District in 1891. He was convinced that:

"No other area is more developed than Sampheng due to its very strategic location for trading. But something seems to pose a hindrance - lack of roads. The existing ones are too narrow and hence obstructing traffic for sellers and buyers. They are inadequate for the development which could intensify in the future."

Yaowarat Road

Yaowarat Road Intersection Ratchawong Road. The Kao Chan Building(nine storey building), the tallest building in Thailand in those days, can be seen on the left.

Yaowarat Road in the past

One of the 18 new roads in the project to promote the trading business centering in Sampheng District which was submitted for approval from King Rama V by the Ministry of Public Works, Yaowarat Road was first constructed in 1892 in the area originally densely populated by the Chinese. The community had been in poor surroundings amidst numerous badly littered, dirty and untidy-looking alley-ways situated between Charoen Krung(New Road) and Sampheng Roads. The construction of Yaowarat Road, 1,532 meters long and merely 20 meters wide, took altogether eight years. To comply with the King's policy, the road followed a meandering course so as to avoid the existing cluster of houses. It was also following his initiation that rows of modern shop-houses were built along the road for rent to traders, thereby opening up an opportunity for a great number of Chinese to start their own businesses. The new business area that developed from that point onward helped bring about the boom of Sampheng, the district where the country's record revenue through business tax has been registered.

Pictures of Chinese labor in the Past.

Street Peddler
Construction Work

Pulling a rickshaw

Tin mine

Saw-mill

Cargo Transfer

Railroad Construction

Rice-mill

Rice Trade: A New Road to Prosperity

After the Bowring Treaty between Thailand and Great Britain in 1855, Thai government allowed an uncontrolled export of rice for the first time. It was not long before Thailand topped the list as world's No. 1 rice exporter. Rice trade becomes the enterprise that generates an enormous size of revenue. Located along Chao Phraya River were large numbers of rice mills. At the initial stage, these and all rice exporting enterprises were owned by westerners, with Chinese staff acting as "compradore" or their representatives in dealing with rice farmers and acquiring paddy for the mills.
It took the Chinese hardly two decades before they knew all the Ins and outs of the business to be able to run the first rice mills of their own in 1879. Before long, their rice enterprises could be expanded widely within the Chinese community. Well-versed merchants who became wealthy as authorized tax collectors got involved in an intensive joint-venture investment and fostering a close connection with the new generation of Chinese merchants who owned thriving business in the rice market in Swatow, Hong Kong and Singapore, which were compulsory if they were to successfully compete with western businessmen. As it turned out, the Chinese managed to have an integrated control on Thailand's rice trade components ranging from buying paddy from rice farmers to milling and exporting.

The Bangkok Chinese foreign Trade Association was originated by collaborating rice exporters operating in Songwat Road area

The Bank of Chao Phraya River near Songwat Road

A Chinese hand rice mill

Landing of rice at boat quay in Singapore

Workers at a warehouse for rice grains(from left) the tally-keeper in charge of quantity prepare of an account; rice quality inspector; office supervisor; the one who measures out rice

Rice Inspector

The process of rice exporting includes rice inspection to establish the quality of milled rice to be exported. A representative of the rice mill approaches the yong, or broken, with a pack of rice sample. The broken then takes part of it to the exporter's office for inspection and, possibly,sale. The exporter's manager who is highly skilled in his profession can right away assess the quality of the rice being offered for sale, by sight as well as the feel on his fingers. Having established the degree of moisture and the grade by shape of the grain. he proceeds to offer the buying price and state the quantity and the date of delivery by the seller. The yong then sees to it that the deal was properly followed up by the rice mill.

From left to right.

- Sifting tray used to seperate rice grains by size

- Packs of rice sample from rice broker on which the type of rice and the name of the mill are started

- Bamboo trays used in the process of assessing the quality of rice

bowls of the sample and Wooden tray used in the process of assessing the quality of rice

jar of exported rice sample which is maintained as evidence for inspection

Over all

The Chino - Steam Navigation company Limited

The bank of Chao Phraya River near Songwat Road in the past

Five dialect groups of Chinese businessmen launched the first joint - venture business in 1908 through the establishment of the Sino - Siam steam navigation company limited to carry cargo as well as passengers on the route Bangkok - Hong Kong - Swataw - Haikow. Their service directly posed a thread to the rival German - owned company called Norddedscher Lloyd which had secured monopoly on the route Bangkok - Swatow at that time. Their Bussiness relied on the patronage of potential customers who had been earnestly persuaded to avail of the ship liner's service by chinese traders, owners of pawnshops, owners of shops offering postal service to send letter and money to China, operators of rickshaw service, among others. However, with the capital - intensive German company's strategy of fare undercut from 20-25 Baht to merely 5 Baht, the Sino - Siam steam Navigation company limited could not compete and, with the business in the red, they finally closed down in 1912

The pier of Chino-Siam Navigation Company Limited (Photographed Later)

Diversification into other Businesses

Having attained success in the business of rice trading and struggling to persist in the face of the government's plan to terminate the policy of authorizing the Chinese to collect various taxes in exchange of a fee, which had previously meant a major source of wealth for them, many Chinese merchants in Thailand proceeded to diversify into and compete for the leading role in other modern besinesses against western businessmen. During the short period from 1907 to 1913, many branches of business started by the Chinese, such as shipping lines, banks and insurance companies, had to close down in no time due to lack of knowledge and experience as well as inadequate operating capital to compete against those run by westerners. Be that as it may, experience gained in the fierce competition requiring extreme perseverance on the part of the pioneer generation provided an important lesson for the younger. In the end, it was Chinese businessmen who have since the end of World War II onward managed to retain solid leadership in an array of modern businesses in Thailand ranging from import and export, banking, financial institution, insurance, transportation and navigation.

Toward The Golden Age (1851 - 1957)

During the period of more than a century ever since the introduction of steamship, the rapid growth of the Chinese community in Sampheng was proportional to the number of those newly arrived. It eventually saw a new main road, Yaowarat, which soon became the heart of a vast business area as well as Bangkok's most modern entertainment outlets for the period around 1957. Thus, The name 'Yaowarat' came to mean the entire Chinatown of Bangkok. The thriving business around Yaowarat Road could be principally attributed to two factors: the government's policy of accelerated city development under western influence and the Chinese capability to adjust to the modern form of economy, namely the free trade scheme, which coincided with the introduction of steamship by westerners. Chinese merchants were fast getting familiar with the new opportunities opening up as they relied on their intrinsic element called perseverance in order to attain success in operating commercial enterprises starting with rice trade - Thailand's No. 1 export being rice - before diversifying into an array of other businesses, thereby securing strength and solid foundation to the Thai modern economy centered at Yaowarat.

Yaowarat Road taken from Kao Chan Building,circa 1930 looking east, Chet Chan Building, the second - tallest Building is on the right while Hok Chan Building, seen on the left, was still under construction.



Posh hotels on Yaowarat Road during the reign of King Rama V



Yaowarat Road in its early days.










Findthaigirls

Types of Occupations of overseas Chinese in Thailand

Ice Cream seller

Chinese Street Merchant, Bangkok

General Stores in Sampheng, Bangkok

pull irkshaw

Jui Guai Peddler

A kind of steamed Chinese cupcake made from rice flour, jui guai comes in a bowl-like, banana-leaf container with toppings such as fried chopped garlic and minced preserved tumips, with thick soy-sauce to season. A Chinese favorite snack, it is both filling and cheap. Many of the newly arrived Chinese earned their living as jui guai peddlers, among others, because it did not require any substantial amount of money to start.